"Come To The Feast"

($150.00......12" x 12"....Acrylics on 300 lb. HP....Mounted on a 1.50" depth Clayboard)

"The table of the Lord is set with flowers and food. Come to the feast!" This is a 12" x 12" acrylic painting created for the Easter Exhibit. This quote was based on a parable from Luke 14. You might want to check it out for all of the details.

Today I am convinced that artists must have the patience of Job! Trying to wait on acrylic paint to dry is like watching water boil. It simply takes forever...especially when done with a palette knife. Between the hair dryer and a fan, I finally finished this piece. 

You may remember seeing the draft several days ago. The very abstract flowers are a bit more defined and I also made a title change. The thing that kept me going on this piece is the amount of texture and very simple shapes and division of space. The black centers keep your eye moving from one area to another. The blue flowers make one continuous shape and touch three sides of the design space. The two white flowers also touch all four sides.  To have a dynamic painting, the major shapes should touch at least two sides of the design space.

I kept the lettering light and airy to match the mood of the piece. But I must say that writing on this surface was no easy task! If you could see the original, you would see how textural it really is, and it didn't help that with my first try, I thought the paint was dry, but discovered it was still wet underneath. 

If my time constraints weren't so tight, it would definitely have been better to let it dry for a day or two before lettering. Lesson learned! And there you have it...just a few more things to think about.

Please contact me personally to inquire about this piece.

"Beauty"

(unavailable.....in the collection of dee day.....5" x 5"....Acrylics on Canvas....mounted on a clayboard.)

"Bandage your heart with beauty." There are only two things that pierce the heart....beauty and affliction. This piece was cropped from a larger one where the word beauty was written a bit "wonky", but it works with this quote, especially with the three cross stitches underneath. When our hearts are in need of healing, beauty is the healing balm.

The original larger piece was painted with acrylics and palette knife on canvas. I always liked the colors, but not the entire piece so I cropped it to this smaller 5" x 5" version and added the one line quote with pointed pen and gouache. The surface was prepared to receive lettering by brushing on (2) parts water to (1) part gel matte medium. It's tricky because at first the medium will not want to attach to the slick surface. By securing the piece to a surface...you can cause it to adhere to the piece by holding a hair dryer in one hand and brushing with the other. (I've mentioned this many times before, but here it is again in case you like to letter over acrylic paint or metal leaf.)

 Besides the palette knife texture, I particularly like to stitch through canvas to create more texture. There are many other ways to do this. For instance, I have seen special effects with yarns and threads and beads hanging from a support. The only caution that comes to mind is to make sure it fits perfectly with your colors and concept or it will look very contrived.

In the case of stitching and then painting over it, the integration is complete and the surprise element of the stitching is always appealing to the viewer. If you like extreme texture, you can also stitch on another piece of fabric and paint over the whole piece to get another effect. These types of texture do work well in all kinds of concepts, but are particularly effective to get a "moody" ethereal look going on. I cannot almost hear those of you on my art team at church coming up with all kinds of ideas. Just make sure it's convincing. And there you have it...just a few more things to think about.

"Empty to Full"

($40.00.....6" x 6".....mounted on a 1/8" depth clayboard panel)




"Thanksgiving transforms empty to full." Thanksgiving is a reverential act that gives all of us the full life we want to experience. Making a mental or actual list of the many things we can be grateful for is a very good start.

When I think of overflowing abundance, my visual memory takes me back to the outdoors and the colors I experience in that environment. This piece is a "nod" to the dominant colors in most landscapes such as trees and grass and leaves. Texture is something I have also been experimenting with and Glass Bead Gel has been my ally along with Speedball Printing Ink.

I have already discussed the layering process of this particular technique in previous postings, but it never hurts to be mindful of shapes, division of space, corners, and edges. What I have noticed is that a straight edge has a very stabilizing effect on a chaotic surface. Just make sure there is a contrast by adding a substantial amount of erratic or uneven edges. I did add a piece of collage made from a cowhide image to give me one of those straight edges. It's hard to tell where it is, but it did achieve the desired outcome. And the goal in most of my collage work using this type of background is to integrate it so well (color wise) that it is barely discernible.

If you like texture, this type of layering is very addictive and compelling and I would encourage you to do your own experiments. The water soluble printing ink is fabulous because it will stick to any kind of surface and writing or imprinting with water following by blotting will reveal the previous layer...which goes to the heart of integration. And there you have it...just a few more things to think about.

Please contact me personally to inquire about this piece.

"Lesson Learned?"

($150.00......6" x 6".....floated on a linen mat in an 8" x 8" wood frame)


"History repeats itself until the lesson is learned." This is true in personal experiences and in the history of nations and cultures. It is a wise person who reviews their life from time to time and notices what particular habits are continually repeated as well as though that produce success. It's a great time saver to stop doing things that don't work.

A band of color(s) running diagonally across a page can be boring all by itself or not have very interesting texture. However, the composing of opaque and transparent collage over that band of color can create a lot of drama.

The segment of an old book page became the focal point with the added texture of an embossed emblem. It was then easy to "frame" that one segment with the burnt sienna color of the background and the aged book spine. Those two collage items were then "framed" with transparent scroll work plus the more ornate scrollwork acting as another part of the "frame". I also printed out the copyright date (1800's) and placed it in the lower left hand corner. And the final touch was the fragment of silver leaf adhered to the book spine. The placement was decided by a desire to have it quite near to the center of interest and also becoming a part of the "frame" around the cream colored book page.

Collage can often be overdone, but it helps to think of all of your collage pieces as a unit. Take note that there is at least one third of this design space with nothing except for the quote. This negative space helps relieve the eye. By keeping the detail in one area, you are telling the viewer exactly where you want them to look. A good analogy is a logo or lettering on a tall pillar in a large building. Your eye will immediately go to the one area on the pillar where there is detail of an image or lettering. And that's the power of negative space. It helps direct the eye. And there you have it...just a few more things to think about.


Please contact me personally to inquire about this piece.

"Neutral"

($40.00....6" x 6".....mounted on a 1/8" depth clayboard panel)


"Put your life in neutral to calm chaos." There is a contrast in this piece between neutral colors and chaotic texture. In life we must all find ways to put our life in neutral in order to stay sane and keep from spinning out of control. Whether it's taking a walk, sitting with a friend, or reading a book, we all need to put our life in neutral for part of the day.

This piece was created much the same way yesterday's posting was created. I simply chose to use neutrals. After the solid acrylic color is placed over the entire surface of textured gesso, it is important to start thinking about creating shapes.

All of the other layers of colors after the dark turquoise were Speedball Printing Inks. They were applied in this order...white...brown + black....orange + brown + lots of white and a bit of turquoise. The very last color was turquoise added to the peach mixture.

what makes this and all other types of layering work is the ability to break up the surface tension in a convincing way. Thinking in shapes will help, but then you must break up the surface in some way to reveal the previous layer. In this piece, I used a pointed pen, a ruling pen, and water, followed by blotting.  The initial raised texture of the gesso and several places where glass bead gel was applied also helped achieve the revealing of a previous color. The shapes give it the structure and without that structure, the human eye does not know where to look.

Other ways of breaking up surface tension could be sanding, gouging, transparent paint or collage elements, blotting, etc. The most obvious way is simply to leave a portion of the previous layer untouched. However, this is not as subtle or convincing and may create too many hard edges and if all your edges are hard, your work will be very difficult for people to view. So there you have it...a few more things to think about.


Please contact me personally to inquire about this piece.

"Quit"

($60.00.....6" x 6"......mounted on a 1.50" depth clayboard panel)


"If something doesn't work...quit doing it!" It sounds obvious, but I am still amazed at my own ability to continue doing something for a long time before realizing that it's not working. Maybe today will be the day that all of us quit doing at least one thing that no longer works.

This piece is layering and texture to the max. If the colors are too bright for you, this look can also be achieved with neutrals.

The first layer was gesso applied to Rives BFK with a sponge brush and applied much thicker in some areas. An old credit card was used to make gestural marks that you can still see after several layers. The key is to have the gesso thicker in some places and then to let it dry overnight. (Drying with a hair dryer does not get the inside of the thickest gesso dry and you will find this out when you try to paint over it.) I also added some Glass Bead Gel (Golden) to several areas. You can see it at the top in the persimmon color.

The persimmon color is acrylic and was applied with a sponge brush over the entire surface and then a brayer was used to remove the excess. After the acrylic was thoroughly dry, I switched to Speedball Printing Inks for the remaining layers. The first layer was black and applied with a brayer, not bothering to cover the entire surface. The glass bead gel created enough of a raised surface to leave a larger area of the persimmon untouched. Before sealing the black ink, I took a point pen and wrote into the ink and then blotted it to create some of the texture you see. After sealing the black with Acrylic Spray Coating, I added the turquoise color, being mindful of creating shapes. I wrote into this color with water followed by blotting before sealing it. The last color was the dark yellow, also written into with water and sealed.

The last bit was the collage element in the lower right hand corner which gives the piece more shapes,  form,  and a touch of Mexico. The quote was written after the surface was prepared for lettering. And that's how it's done! Just a few more things to think about.


Please contact me personally to inquire about this piece.

"The Apex" (sold)

(sold)


"Good books are at the apex of a wise person's life." The apex is a place where important things come to a point or good conclusion. I have a friend who has more books than me and she is a very wise person. It is a blessing to have a large library on your bookshelf or on your iPad.

This piece was cropped from a larger version of gestural strokes created with acrylic paints, glazing medium, and applied to the support with foam brushes and shaper tools. The entire process is all about laying down paint and then removing some.

It does help to spray the paper with water first and then use a concentrated amount of paint mixed with glazing medium to dip your foam brush into. The removal of paint was done with shaper tools and old credit cards. To achieve the solid smooth background first, the paint was brushed over the entire surface and then a brayer was used to smooth out the paint and also remove the excess. Wipe the brayer frequently and keep going in all directions over the entire surface until it is even and smooth. There are a few faint gestural makes created in this background before drying it completely.

After the background is dried, spray the paper with water again and create the bands or block of color and remove portions of the paint until you're satisfied. (Google Carol Pickle for tons of inspiration applying and removing paint.)

I did add just a bit of collage from some practice lettering I did some time ago and a portion of an old book page. With this type of background especially, it is important to use removable tape and play around with the placement of the collage until you are totally convinced you have it in the right place. I knew the collage element was in the right place when the corners were touching the background color in two places which totally grounded it to the background. There is also a lower case "b" in the upper left hand corner that fit in with the color and provided an echo of the main collage element. And there you have it...just a few more things to think about.

"Deep Longing"

(unavailable)


"Solitude is a place of deep longing for the only One who can satisfy." Many pursuits can give temporary satisfaction and take up hours of our time, but we were created to have an intimate relationship with God. That is the only thing that can truly fill the deepest longing of our soul.

This piece is another venture into contrasting opacity with transparency. A good rule of thumb is to choose equal pieces of opaque collage elements and transparent elements. By arranging them various ways, you will eventually find the right overlap and placement for each piece. The wonderful thing that happens is that you can see every layer in the piece. It is one of the most effective ways of achieving depth with layering.

The initial background was begun with gesso with some areas having a lot of texture. That, too, will add another dimension to your collage. Cadimium Orange was painted over the entire gesso surface with a solid application. Speedball Printing Ink came next, leaving some of the orange peeking through. At this point, you must spray with acrylic coating because the printing ink is water soluble. Silver leaf was then adhered one section at a time over gel matte medium straight from the jar. If the silver leaf looks too solid and static...simply apply some gel matte medium to your brayer and roll over the surface. The stickiness of the medium will pull more of the silver leaf from the surface.

All in all, this is a wonderful way to create a collage. It also helps to have some silk tissue paper (the most transparent paper I've ever found) and be able to print it on your printer. Simply make a copy of the image on regular paper...watch how it exits the printer...use removable tape to tape the transparent paper over the image...and send it through the printer again in the same way it went through the first time. Spray with acrylic coating and you will be ready to adhere it to your surface. And there you have it...a few more things to think about.

"Wild Applause"

($200.00......9" x 12".....mounted on a 2".00 depth clayboard)


"The music in my heart and the exuberance of the crowd brought me to my feet in wild applause." There is nothing quite like an accomplished musician and a crowd of people filled with excitement to bring you to your feet. It's a moment shared with people you may have never met. Tonight might be a good time to go to a concert!

This piece was created with acrylics and palette knife on Rives BFK. My process began by practicing drawing the cello with gestural strokes many times before committing it to the final paper. After sketching it in with pencil, I mixed up my paints with some retarder to give myself a longer working time. I did consider Open Acrylics which perform much like oils, but I like the full body consistency of acrylics in the tube when working with a palette knife.

There was basically three mixtures of paint. The gray was created by mixing Raw Umber + Unbleached Titanium (Liquitex) and adding some white to a portion of this mixture to create a different value. The second color was Titanium White. The third color was Quinacridone Magenta + White. So if you ever need a very good gray, this combination is quite lovely.

Gestural strokes also played a part in the background by using the corner of a credit card (rounded edges cut off) to make some expressive marks in the background paint. Also notice that the magenta color was repeated in a couple of places which adds a bit more drama and helps the eye "connect the dots" in the painting. Remember that the eye is always looking for connections.

I prepared the surface for lettering after the acrylics had thoroughly dried....for days actually and then wrote the quote with a pointed pen and Moon Palace Ink. Notice the division of space and the slight variation of values in the background that create another color block. And there you have it...just a few more things to think about.

Please contact me personally to inquire about this piece.

"Texas"

(unavailable)

"Texas is my home." There are a few images that have a direct association with our fine state. One of those images is one head of cattle or an entire herd. Ever so often, I must return to those images in some form or fashion since I am a native Texan. If your birthplace doesn't happen to be Texas, then I extend my deepest sympathy and regret. But I am glad you got here as fast as you could!

This is not a complicated piece, but it does require several steps with drying time in between. The first layer is gesso on Rives BFK paper applied with a sponge brush and texturized with a credit card and gestural writing. It has to be applied moderately heavy to receive the texture.  This was left to dry overnight (or all day).

On the thoroughly dry surface, I painted a substantial layer of Cadmium Orange straight out of the tube. This was allowed to dry all day. In the evening, I applied Black Speedball Printing Ink with a brayer. Complete coverage was not my goal since I needed some of the orange to be peeking through. The ink was dried with a hair dryer and sprayed with Spray Acrylic Coating.

I then applied the silver leaf one section at a time. Be sure to purchase the kind that has a backing attached and cut each page into four sections. Brush Gel Matte Medium (straight from the jar) on one small section at a time and lay the leaf down. Press over it with your fingers and allow to set for about a minute or two before removing the backing. Leave some space between the sections. By the time you're through, you will have formed a grid like pattern over the entire piece.

The surface was prepared to receive more paint by brushing on (2) parts water to (1) part gel matte medium. I mixed up my acrylics for the "steer" with some retarder to extend my working time. The "steer" was then painted with acrylics and a palette knife. This was allowed to dry overnight. Lettering was added this morning. And that's how it's done! Just a few more things to think about.

"A Complete Picture"

($40.00....6" x 6".....mounted on a 1/8" depth clayboard panel)


"The edges and fragments of our lives come together to form a complete picture." It can be very easy to think about one disappointment or setback and think that everything we've done in life is negated. However, one event does not constitute our entire lives, but it's a series of fragmented parts that come together to make a complete life (or picture).

This piece could be called a study in "green". The piece began with gesso over the entire sheet of Rives BFK and then texturized with gestural marks and drips of gesso. (The raised circle in the upper left hand corner.)  When beginning a piece in this way, it is best to leave the entire thing to dry overnight or at least for several hours.  It takes a long time for think a thick area of gesso to dry completely.

The initial colors were applied with a brayer and acrylic paint. (Lime and Olive Green) I then switched to Speedball Printing Ink and applied several different greens making sure to allow some of the previous layer to show through. It could also be referred to as breaking up the surface tension. Speedball Printing Ink is very easy to modify and will give you the printed look that you will not get with acrylics or gouache.

To add more surface texture, I added some rice paper collage that had been mono printed with a deep green that was almost black. The last bit of collage was the butterfly...printed on silk tissue paper.

One of the key points in creating a layered and textured surface is to allow the previous color to break through the surface in some way. It also gives the illusion of transparency. Failure to do this will result in a look that is contrived and the pieces look like they're just stuck on and totally unintegrated. So it is very instructive to pay attention to the techniques that help break up surface tension. And that's the beauty of mixed media. Just a few more things to think about.

Please contact me personally to inquire about this piece.

"A Distant Melody"

($40.00.....6" x 6"....mounted on a 1/8" depth clayboard panel)


"Hope is a distant melody that becomes louder and more distinct with time." Hope is essential to survive the difficult places in life. This quote is dedicated to several of my dear friends and family members who are going through a hard place. May hope work its way into the deepest recesses of you soul.

The foundation of this piece was created with large gestural strokes on a prepared paper. All of the acrylic paint I used was first mixed with a bit of molding paste, retarder, and glazing liquid. This allowed the paint to stay wet longer and have a smoothness and more body than simply applying acrylic paint out of the tube. The ability to make gestural marks into the paint was also enhanced by mixing this combination.

So the paper (Rives BFK) was toned with Raw Umber + Unbleached Titanium by brushing on with a sponge brush and then rolled over with a large brayer until the color was smooth. After that dried, I created the gestural strokes with a sponge brush followed by the removal of some of the paint with various sizes of shaper tools. Gestural marks were also included at this stage. The fun part was cropping this piece from a larger sheet...paying close attention to the division of space and having the color blocks touch at least two sides of the design space.

It is a wonderful surface to write or draw on because the paint has been applied thinly in most areas. My desire is to hone this in such a way as to create a look of transparency. And there you have it...just a few more things to think about.

Please contact me personally to inquire about this piece.

"Antiquities"

(unavailable)


"Articles of antiquity anchor us to the ebb and flow of history." There are a lot of us out here who like to rummage through old things with interesting patinas and shapes. After thinking about it for a long time, I have concluded that the ongoing interest in antiques anchors us into history and securely places us in the timeline. It makes us feel secure...that all is well.

A few days ago I talked about creating a series. This piece is the third in a series created from the same parent sheet of paper. Alas, this is the last for it is all gone.

The background colors are very conducive to all environments, but this one could be categorized as a library piece. It has a look of history and much of that is because of the colors. This robin egg's blue (Cobalt Turquoise + Raw Umber+ White) is a favorite to use with umbers and other earth colors such as raw sienna. If you like this palette, I strongly encourage you to give it a try and experiment with the percentage of space that each color occupies...vary that...and do a series. It's quite instructive and yields a great study in neutrals.

The collage elements, of course, are the focal point with a contrast of translucent, transparent, and opaque pieces. The dark collage piece at the bottom right was positioned over three different surfaces to create different values and shapes from the one image. The same is true for the ornate letter with all of the flourishes. And that's the charm of transparency and the depth that can be achieved.

It is not necessary to include collage over the whole piece, but rather to keep it in one area and going from edge to edge is a good idea. Also make sure to include contrasts between straight and erratic edges as well as transparent and opaque sections. Both types of contrasts are needed to achieve this kind of look. And there you have it...just a few more things to think about.

Please contact me personally to inquire about this piece.

"Play On" (sold)

(sold)


"Play your life with passion for it is the food of life." Energetic and gestural marks are all the rage because of the quick and passionate movement as they're being made. A lackadaisical approach has no energy. So it is in life. A positive and energetic approach is always more attractive.

The foundation of this piece began with acrylic paint and a palette knife. The shapes here are very free form. Basically, all it takes to create shapes is a value and color change. Inscribing into the wet paint with the corner of a credit card created the gestural writing as well as stamped lines to echo the bit of music collage.

I am working on a larger piece with these same colors so I knew the lettering would need to be white. (The Quinacridone Magenta did not show up well in the hairlines of the lettering) For that reason, I chose to include some white of the paper when cropping from a larger piece to tie in with the letters.

This piece is a reminder that it takes a spontaneous technique to create a spontaneous result. And in this day and age the use of spontaneous techniques is essential to set yourself apart in the art world....or at the minimum, using energetic brush strokes or including a bit of diagonal movement, etc. All of these things, plus an ever growing sense of design, is what will help an artist grow. Painting and creating what thousands of others are doing will not do it anymore because we are inundated with visuals every day. And there you have it. Just a few more things to think about.

"Seize the Moment"

($40.00....6" x 6".....mounted on 1/8" depth clayboard panel)


"Seize the moment before it flies away." I'm sure we can all think back on a moment of opportunity that slipped through our fingers. Sometimes there is a second chance to revisit something, but most often, it is gone forever unless we suspend what we're doing and seize the moment.  Seize a moment today before it flies away.

You may notice that the colors in this piece are the same as yesterday's posting. That's because they were cut from the same parent sheet of paper. There is the same emphasis on diagonals, but the shapes are quite different in this piece.

If you ever want to work in a series...one of the best ways to accomplish a seamless transition from one piece to the other is to work on a much larger sheet of paper and then crop two or more pieces from that larger sheet. A series can also be created by using the same materials and colors with each piece having a different composition.

Working in a series and presenting them all together is an excellent way of keeping the viewer engaged. The eye is always looking for connections, so by having several pieces that connect visually, the viewer will have much to consider.

One more interesting way to create a series is to use the same palette, but not necessarily use the same colors. Rather, a series can be united thematically. This could also be an open door for collaborative work with each person taking a part of the theme and then all of the pieces presented together. We did this one time on the art team at Open Doors Gallery by assigning 12 persons to take an element of the Last Supper and create a 4" x 4". The pieces were then presented together in the same piece.

Just thinking about a series can offer up many hours of creative study and fun for yourself and others. So think about that and perhaps you will be inspired to get started today.

Please contact me personally to inquire about this piece.

"Unfolding Dreams" (sold)

(sold))


"The reward of the diligent is the unfolding of dreams." The steady and focused attention on a particular skill is the essence of diligence. Steady means "on a regular basis"...like everyday. It is a steady observation and self critique as you work on your work. Go for it!

The foundation of this piece is acrylic paint. There is no gesso. I did add molding paste to the raw umber and retarder to all of the acrylic mixtures to extend the working time. My desire was to experiment with gestural strokes with a broad sweep across a larger sheet of paper.

The texture was mostly created with shaper tools and credit cards. I also used a brayer and alcohol to remove and soften the lines in several places. It's another exciting approach to mixed media and surface texture. The butterfly was printed on silk tissue paper and as you can see the raised texture shows up right through the paper to create a total integration with the surface.

I enjoyed writing the quote with a Mitchell #6 and Walnut Ink. It is the movement created by the diagonal sweep of color that gives this piece drama as well as the butterfly positioned so that it looks like it's in flight. And there you have it. Just a few more things to think about.

"Receptacle of Love"

(unavailable)


"Collect your tears in a receptacle of love and the sun will soon shine again." Today's posting is lovingly dedicated to some friends of ours who lost a grand child over the weekend in an accidental drowning. We are crying with them. We pray for the receptacle of love (Jesus Christ) to wrap them completely up in His empowering grace.

The background in this piece was cropped from a larger sheet I created as a background behind a kiln formed piece of glass. It began with textured gesso on Rives BFK paper. It was then painted black with Speedball Printing Ink and a brayer. After that layer dried and received a coating of Acrylic Spray, I applied gel matte medium (one small section at a time) and laid down the gold leaf. It might be necessary to wait a bit and let it become attached to the gel before removing the backing from the gold leaf. Some of the leaf naturally pulled up creating the exposed black areas.

The look of gold covering an entire surface was a bit bright so I applied (2) parts water to (1) part gel matte medium with my right hand and held a hair dryer right where I was brushing to cause the gel to attach to the leaf. This is a very important step because my intention was to brush on charcoal powder to dull the surface and it will not attach to a slick surface. It is also necessary to spray again with Acrylic Coating to fix the charcoal powder in place. You can then prepare the surface for lettering and painting the bowl with a palette knife.

The last bits of gold were applied before lettering and create a contrast between the two values of gold. To paint with acrylics and a palette knife, it is necessary to add a retarder to the paint to give yourself a larger window of working time. So there you have it. Just a few more things to think about.

"A Travel Diary"

($40.00....6" x 6"....mounted on a 1/8" depth clayboard panel)


"A travel diary records the personal details of your favorite places." Even if you don't call it a diary, most of us do record the details of places we visit with photos, sketches, writing, painting, etc. It's fun and that's the nature of a trip to your favorite place!

This piece is another venture into playing around with opacity and transparency. The key elements are gesso, acrylic paint, collage on rice paper, and collage on silk tissue paper. It is extremely helpful to keep your scraps of lettering practice, stamped designs, and then have a great collection from your iPhoto album.

All of these pieces can be used in this type of piece. I've posted several in the last week so you can look back and see other possibilities using the same materials. The process then moves to design. It is imperative to establish some shapes either in the background paint or placement of the collage elements or both. Using transparent layers over opaque pieces of collage will help give depth and tie everything together...especially if there is some of the dominant color in that transparent layer. You can see it in this piece with the gestural marks carved out of blue paint and then printed on the silk tissue paper. It overlays the yellow right above the train.

In fact, some of your mark makings on other papers might not work in their present state, but might be the perfect thing if printed on transparent tissue. In the spiritual realm, it's called "line upon line" and "precept upon precept". In the art world, we call it the layering process. Just a few more things to think about.

Please contact me personally to inquire about this piece.

"A Steady Beat"

($60.00....6" x 6".....mounted on a 1.50" depth clayboard)


"History is a steady beat of new turning into old." Isn't it amazing how items our parents used are now seen in antique stores...and bringing a hefty price? History marches in rhythm to time and even today, we are all making history. Make it a good one.

This piece is a combination of gesso, acrylic paint, silver leaf, collage elements printed on silk tissue paper. Notice that the focal point runs from top to bottom, dividing the space and other elements into interesting shapes. I've been looking at work by other mixed media artists. The very best compositions have color, line, and shapes that extend to at least two sides of the design space.

The very old bits of a book spine from the 1800's is a powerful part of this design. The other bits were in my stash and printed on silk tissue paper. Notice also that there is a contrast between straight edges and erratic edges. So there you have it....a few more things to think about.


Please contact me personally to inquire about this piece.

"Music and Art"

($40.00.....6" x 6"......mounted on a 1/8" depth clayboard panel)


"Music and art pierce the heart." When words will not comfort and the storms of life rage on, it is music and art that pierce the heart and heal the wound.

As you can see, I have departed from pouring medium and gesso (temporarily) and picked up the palette knife. The beige background was applied with a brayer. It is acrylic so I was able to paint right over it with a palette knife.

Much of my intrigue with this tool is the edge it creates. It also forces me to let go of details and paint the essence of a thing rather than "fussing" over all the details. It is not a total and accurate representation, but the appeal is the texture and the edges. My interest in this look is its erratic characteristics which look so good with expressive writing. So there will probably be more experiments of this nature.

The right hand side was stamped with a commercial stamp using Speedball Printing Ink. It was also helpful to add a retarder to the acrylic paint to make it more pliable and extend the drying time. All in all, I highly recommend giving it a try and stay with it long enough to learn how to manipulate it and actually place the paint in the right place. So there you have it. Just a few more things to try or think about.

Please contact me personally to inquire about this piece.